Rapturous
by nickersoncrazy
Summary: Nothing much to summarize here. Just a bit of saccharine Nancy /Ned fluff. Oneshot, birthdayfic.


Well, I didn't quite achieve as many words as I had wanted to, but, yeah, regardless, here's a new story, hope you all like it, and please feel free to have a nice, warm heart to review ;)

Written for saphiretwin369 and sparklyshimmer2010 for their birthday.

nickersoncrazy

* * *

The dim moonlight made her eyes seem even more luminous than usual, the tousled strands of her hair fell carelessly onto her face, and his breath caught at the very sight of her. Her lips were red and turgid from all his kisses, her face flushed, her slender arms were wrapped tightly around his neck as they leaned in again intuitively and touched lips. They kissed at first with delicate fervour, then with growing intensity.

A few seconds later, Nancy pulled away gently, giddy-headed, and sagged comfortably into Ned's arms. He sighed contentedly, his hands lovingly kneading her back as she pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart, and shivered slightly.

"Cold?" His soft voice filled the otherwise silent, secluded atmosphere where they were snuggled up together under a huge tree in the park. She pushed her head deeper into his chest, deliriously happy, and nodded slightly.

"A little."

His arms tightened around her as an instantaneous reaction. She raised her eyes to look into his brown ones, wearing a grateful smile, her eyes filled with affection. She felt his hot breath fanning her face as he drew closer, then his lips, as they travelled through her reddish-blonde hair. She cuddled closer to him, her knees now touching his, and ran her fingers up and down the wide expanse of his muscular back. Their intense happiness isolated them from the rest of the world.

"You couldn't have picked a colder place, now could you?" she asked, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. She looked up again and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. He took it, and gently pressed his lips to it. "I mean, we could've just stayed at home and put in a movie. Where it's warmer."

He raised a brow. "You mean put in a movie, snuggle up on the couch, and then _not_ watch it, don't you?" he said, grinning.

She sat up straight and gasped dramatically. "Why, good Lord, Ned _Nickerson!"_ she exclaimed, all innocence. "What_ever_ do you mean by that?"

"I'll show you." He touched her lips with his in a searing kiss. She returned his kiss, her heart levitating with delight from all their nonstop osculations that night. She pulled away, sighed softly, and laughed. "You're so loony," she mumbled, and playfully punched him in the ribs.

"Don't pretend you're not enjoying it."

"Who's pretending?" Her eyes sparkled with humour.

Ned's gaze held hers for a long moment. "This place, Nan," whispered, pressing his lips to her mouth briefly. "This place is special. It's _our_ place."

Her hand groped in the dark for his as memories of the sweet tenderness of their first kiss came flooding in. It had been under that very tree that in an awkward state of uncertainty, he'd summoned all of his courage and kissed her; his kiss, the key to a secret unexplored chamber of her heart that was now specially reserved for him and no one else.

"Our place," she repeated softly, remembering, tears shining in her eyes.

His hand touched her cheek lightly, he drew her face closer, and kissed her gently, mirroring the same reluctant passion of the first time their lips had met. Her fingers were touching his neck, she leaned in eagerly and kissed him back with increasing urgency. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him. His hand supported her chin, he kissed her deeply, just wanting nothing but to convey to her how infinitely precious she was to him.

There was a smile of heartfelt warmth on her face when they drew apart. She pressed her cheek against one of Ned's tautly-muscled arms and chuckled. "Do you remember the first time our eyes met?" she asked softly.

Ned grinned wryly, stroking her hair. "Am I supposed to?"

She whacked him on the arm. "Of course you are!"

He shrugged, drew her closer, and brushed her nose lightly with his. "I do," he answered. "Kind of."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I remember _everything_," she said mischievously. "You were in that basketball game, down by two points—just _two_ points—and then you spotted me in the sidelines—"

"—All right, I get it. I acted like an idiot."

"The ball practically bounced off your head!" She squealed with delight. "And you had an incredibly stupid, goofy grin on your face, and your eyes were all dreamy, and your mouth was hanging open and—"

"—Hannah's chocolate cake has that same effect on me," he said thoughtfully.

"Don't change the subject!" she exclaimed, laughing. "If I remember correctly, Nickerson, you were even _drooling!"_

"Nancy!"

Her laughter overtook all his protests. "I didn't know superjocks could act so shy!" she said, giggling.

"There's an exception to every rule, I guess," he mumbled in reply, reddening.

"And your team lost the match and it was all your fault." She jabbed a finger at him.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I won something more important that night, and that's all that's ever mattered."

"What?"

"Your heart."

She melted. "Aww. How cheesy." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Prince Charming."

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and squeezed gently. "Anything for my princess."

Nancy grinned. Her eyelashes fluttered furiously, and she rolled her eyes heavenward. "Oh, you are just _ah_-dorable, you know?" She looked into his brown eyes and melted again into a little pool of longing. She relaxed against his body. "You're so nice and warm," she purred and snuggled closer. His hand ran over her hair, and resting his chin on top of her head, he rocked her back and forth. Her skin warmed when his fingers traced the blades of her shoulder.

"I love you so much, Nan," he whispered into her ear. "No other girl has ever had this kind of an effect on my heartbeat rate."

She smiled softly. "I love you too," she replied and pulled his head down for a kiss. "We've come a long way, haven't we, Ned?" she asked dreamily.

He nodded. "And I want to keep going," he whispered, and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"What do you mean?" she asked, meeting his eyes, reaching her fingers up to touch his face.

He blushed furiously. "Oh. Well." He shifted uncomfortably. "You know."

Nancy felt a hint of a smile playing on her mouth. "I don't," she said wide-eyed.

"You do," he muttered.

Nancy grinned widely. "Yeah, you're right, I _do_ know," she said, closing her eyes and touching her lips lightly to his shoulder. "But I'm going to put you through all the angst and torture and make you say it yourself."

Ned mock-glared at her. "You angelic little devil!"

She laughed. "Interesting choice of words." She ran a hand through his hair, putting an arm across his stomach, and drew her kness up closer. "So?"

"Marry you to want I," he blurted out incoherently and blushed when he realised what he had said. "Um…eh…I mean I want to marry you." He gulped visibly. "Someday."

"You do?" she asked as though she hadn't figured it out, and batted her lashes at him coyly.

"Yeah. Kind of."

She pretended to consider. "Oh, I don't know, buddy," she said, "throw in a twenty-four carat diamond and we'll negotiate from there." Her dimple deepened when she looked at him, a warm rush of tender feelings surging through her. He looked so cute with that hint of confusion and innocence in his eyes. "Or a plastic one," she whispered, her eyes damp. "One you can get out of a cereal box. Just as long as you're part of the scene."

"I plan on being there," he whispered back. He leaned toward her and touched her lips with his. She was his destination, he knew. She always had been. His hands stilled at the small of her back; hers squeezed his shoulder. They broke for a second to breathe and then kissed again.

"Nan," he whispered hoarsely, his breath ragged. "I love you." He lovingly fondled her cheek, his gaze adoring. "I've loved you for so long."

She pressed another passionate kiss to his mouth. "I love you too, Ned," she said, her voice a few mere decibels in the night. "I've been in love with you since I was a zygote."

"Look who's getting cheesy now."

They stared at each quietly other for a long moment, quite like the first time that had happened. Her thoughts rewound to years before, when they had started dating. She always used to giggle at his attempt to be funny just to veil his nervousness. She thought of the number of nights she had spent awake, thinking of how perfectly their hands fit with each other's. She remembered the number of times she'd spent daydreaming about how perfectly their lips melded together. Whenever she looked into his eyes, probed into his heart, she always had found herself there. All the wonderful times they'd had together were rehashed, en masse.

"Come here," Ned said huskily, as though reading her thoughts. His eyes never left hers as he outstretched his arms to take her in them. She obediently climbed onto his lap, put her arms around his neck, and rested her head on his strong shoulder.

"Ned, you mean everything to me," she said suddenly, her voice filled with unshed tears. "I just want you to know that."

He kissed her hair. "I do, Nan. And you mean the world to me, too." A wicked grin replaced the lovesick expression on his face. "Maybe we should just run off together to Lalaland and live happily ever after."

She chuckled. "Until Dad finds us and contorts a few of your bones, you mean."

Ned feigned disappointment. "Oh well," he said. "This is nice, too."

Nancy kissed his nose lightly. "Of course it is." Her heart felt as though it would burst with contentment. She bent her head slightly, pushed away a bang of her hair, and nibbled gently at his collarbone. "Love you," she murmured happily.

"Love you, too."

Her heart palpitated wildly when his mouth descended upon hers. Impassioned by his touch, and with all the cumulative sheer yearning in her heart, she kissed him back hard. His lips then moved from the tip of her ear, along her jawbone, to her chin, and down her neck where he pressed a fiery line of kisses up to the pulse in her throat. His hands lovingly stroked the curve of hr waist. Her fingers curled at the nape of his neck, absent-mindedly stroking his hair. Yielding to passion, and the inviting warmth of their closeness, their mouths met again, hot and demanding.

And when she pulled away, he was holding an open velvet box, a diamond ring sparkling inside, and at his unvoiced proposal, happy, surprised tears filled in her brilliant blue eyes.


End file.
